VALENCIA HISTORY

Founded in 1919, Valencia moved to its current Mestalla home four years later but the club’s early progress was halted in the 1930s by the Spanish Civil War. A first Copa del Rey victory in 1941 was followed up 12 months later by a first La Liga title.

Two more championship successes in the 1940s ensued but there then began a struggle to emulate previous triumphs until in 1962, when Valencia beat Barcelona to lift the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, the forerunner to the UEFA Cup. This feat was repeated the following year against Dinamo Zagreb.

Los Che went on to win a fourth La Liga in 1971, captured another Copa del Rey in 1979 and then the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1980, beating Arsenal in the final. Nonetheless, the club hit rock bottom in 1986 with relegation to La Segunda after 55 years in the top flight, although they returned immediately.

The period between 1999 and 2004 was one of the most successful in the club’s history with a total of two La Ligas, one UEFA Cup, one Copa del Rey and a UEFA Super Cup, as well as two runners-up performances in the Champions League.